Page 13 of Captured By the Russian Wolf

The second I heard that name, the storm inside me broke loose. Petrov. The bastard had been circling like a vulture for months now, waiting for a moment of weakness, a slip, something he could use to make a move against me. But there had been no opening—until now.

I opened the note, my eyes scanning the brief threatening words:

"Getting a new wife doesn't serve you in the way you think it does. She's not from our world. She's a liability. How long do you think you can keep her safe?"

The words set my blood on fire, and I crumpled the note in my hand, rage simmering just beneath the surface. "He thinks he can touch her?" I growled, my voice tight with barely controlled fury.

Vadim's eyes darkened as he nodded. "It's a warning. He's testing you."

The room seemed to grow smaller, the walls closing in as the implications settled in my mind. Petrov wanted to push me. He thought Lily was my weakness, and that meant he thought he could use her. The idea of anyone seeing her as leverage, as a pawn in their game, made something savage rise up in me.

"No one touches her," I said, my voice deadly quiet. "No one."

Vadim's gaze didn't waver. He knew what the note meant. He had been by my side long enough to understand the shift, to know that it wasn't just a threat to my power. Things had become personal.

"What do you want to do?" Vadim asked, though I could already see the plan forming in his eyes. He wanted blood. So did I.

"Get Mikhail and the others," I said, my voice cold and decisive. "Petrov doesn't know who the fuck he's messing with."

Vadim nodded once, then left the room without another word. The moment the door closed behind him, I allowed myself to feel the full weight of my anger, my fists clenching at my sides. I had kept my distance from Lily for a reason. I had convinced myself that she was nothing more than a piece of this arrangement, a part of the game. But now, with her life hanging in the balance, I couldn't deny the truth.

She was more than just a tool. She was mine. And no one—no one—would use her against me.

Minutes later, Vadim returned with Mikhail and Yuri, both of them looking as grim as I felt. They knew the situation was serious the moment they walked in. Mikhail, always the strategist, wasted no time.

"What's the play?" Mikhail asked, crossing his arms as he leaned against the wall.

I met his gaze. "Petrov is trying to push me by threatening Lily. He thinks she's an easy target."

Yuri scoffed, shaking his head. "He must be insane if he thinks that's going to work."

"He's not insane," I corrected, my voice hard. "He's desperate. He sees Lily as a way to get to me, and that puts her in danger."

Mikhail's eyes narrowed, considering the situation. "We could send a message—make it clear that she's untouchable."

"A message isn't enough," I said sharply. "We need to make an example."

Yuri's grin widened, the glint in his eyes dark. "I like the sound of that."

I stepped closer, and my men watched my every move, ready to pounce. "Find Petrov's men. Any of them. And when you do, make sure the message is clear: If anyone so much as looks at Lily the wrong way, they'll wish death finds them before I do."

Yuri nodded eagerly, already itching for action. But Mikhail, ever the more cautious of the two, raised a hand. "We should be careful, Nikita. If we go after Petrov's men too aggressively, it could start a war."

I didn't care. Not at that moment. All I could think about was the threat hanging over Lily's head, the danger she was in—because of me.

"Let them try," I said coldly. "If they want war, I'll give it to them."

Mikhail studied me for a moment, his eyes calculating. He could hear the edge in my voice, the personal stake I had in this. "This isn't just about power anymore, is it?" he asked quietly.

I met his gaze, my expression hard. "No, it isn't."

There was a moment of silence before Mikhail nodded. "I'll send the men."

He and Yuri left, the door closing behind them with finality. I stood there, staring at the space they had vacated, my thoughts racing. The rational part of me knew Mikhail was right—escalating this situation could lead to something bigger. But I didn't care.

Not when it came to Lily.

The very idea of her being vulnerable, of her being hurt because of me, was enough to drive me to the brink. I had made the mistake of thinking the marriage was just a transaction, but after reading that note, I knew better.

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